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V. W. WILSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 254,420. Patented Feb. 28,1882.

v f UNITE STATES- PATENT @FFICEs .VINGENT W. WILSON, OF LEOMINSTER, MASS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES L.- JOS-LIN AND ALBERT W. WILLIAMS, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

GAME AQPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formin'g'part of Letters Patent No. 254,420, dated. February 28, 1882. l I Application filed January 16,1882. (NomodelJ I I To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, VINCENT W. WILSON, of Leominster, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has relation to toys or games played with marbles, and itsobject is to provide a simple and inexpensive implement or toy, by the aid of which an interesting and attractive game, which I call Kentuck, can be played.

The improved toy consists of a block or support of wood or other material having a number of sockets or holders adapted to receive an ordinary toy marble. A number of triggers or levers are provided, one passing through the center of each holder and projecting into it far enough to strike out the marble from its socket when the lever is thrown forward. The lower ends of the levers or triggers hang near the ground, and are flattened so as to present a broad enough face to make a mark for the player who propels his marble toward and aims to hit it. If one of the levers or triggers is struck, the marble in the corresponding socket is thrown out. The toy when in use may be held by means of pins or wires at the ends of the support or block, which are thrust a convenient distance into the ground.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, illustrate a device embodying the invention, Figure 1 being a front perspective; Fig. 2, a rear elevation, and Fig. 3, a cross-section.

In the device shown in the drawings, the support is formed of a bar or block, A, of wood or other material, having flat faces, and provided on top with a number of annular concavities or sockets, a, which form the holders for the marbles 0, two of which are shown in position in Fig. 1. Slots 1) are sawed or otherwise formed at intervals transversely through block A, extending downward and forward abouthalf-waythrough the block,as bestshown in Fig. 3. One of these slots passes centrally through each of the sockets or holders a.

In each slot b plays a lever or trigger, B, projeoting into the holder to far enough to strike and throw out a marble resting therein. The levers B are made of flat strips of scrap metaliron or brass, for exampleand extend a short distance below the block A. N ear -the bottom they are given a quarter-twist, so as to ing lengthwise under the block A, and secured by having its ends bent upward and inserted therein. Instead of havingasingle pivot-wire,-

O, the levers could be independently pivoted,

'or the wire 0 could be inserted in a hole bored longitudinally through block A;

Five sockets and triggers are shown arranged at equal distances apart, though it is evident. that any desired number could be used, the" triggers being of course arranged such a distance apart as to make it a question of skill to strike them. A wire, d, secured in a similar manner to wire 0, extends along the back of block A and forms a back-stop for the triggers, upon which they normally rest.

The doubled wires D are provided for the purpose of holding the toy while in use, being thrust a proper distance into the ground. They are formed by passing wires of suitable length through perforations in the block and bending the points downward. When not in use these wire staples or legs can be folded upon block A, making the implement compact and readily portable.

Instead of a double wire, a single pin or leg could be used at each end, or other means for holding the toy when in use could be devised.

It is obvious that other forms of support for the marble-holders could be employed, and that many modifications may be made in the construction of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in stead of block A, as described, a single stout wire could be employed, the ends being bent down to form the legs. The holders could be formed of three or more wires, forming a fork or seat attached to the main wire, and the triggers or levers be pivoted directly on said main wlre.

With the toy described a gamemay be played as follows: The owner of the toy thrusts the wires D into the ground a suflicient distance to steady the article, at the same time allowing the levers or triggers to clear the ground such a distance that a marble after-striking them can roll beyond. A marble is placed in each of the sockets or holders a. A second player (or a number of players in succession) then from an agreed distance knuckles or otherwise propels his marble, aiming at the faces of the levers. If he strikes one of them the marble in the corresponding socket is thrown out and becomes the property of the successful player who shoots again. If he misses, he pays a marble to the owner of the toy as a forfeit; or the game can be varied by numbering the marble-holders from 1 up, as in Fig. 1, the proprietor of the game receiving one or more marbles for each shot, and the player, when successful, receiving the number of marbles corresponding to the number of the trigger struck by him.

. Many other ways of playing a game with the device described can be devised by the ingeunity of the players.

Having now fully described my said invention'and the mannerin which the same is or may be carried into etfeet, what I claim is- 1. The combination, with a bar or block having annular concavities or sockets in its upper surface, of a series of levers or triggers working in slots, one of which passes centrally through each of said sockets, the lower ends of said levers projecting a suitable distance belowthe bar or block, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the marble-holders, support therefor, and levers or triggers, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a block having a number of hollows or depressions, each adapted to hold a marble, of triggers or devices acting when struck to throw the marble out of its socket, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the block orbar having sockets and slotted at intervals, as explained, levers or triggers working in the slots, and folding legs for holding the toy when in use, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the marble-holders and their support, of a series of pivoted triggers, formed of flat strips of metal twisted near their lower ends so as to present forward their flat sides, substantially as described. 

